Ralph Senensky

Tab

In his four-hour Archive interview, Ralph Senensky recalls his childhood in Iowa and his early experiences directing community theater in his home state. He describes his move to Los Angeles, directing at the Pasadena Playhouse, and getting his first job in television at CBS' Playhouse 90. He reflects on what he learned from watching established Playhouse 90 directors Franklin J. Schaffner, John Frankenheimer, and George Roy Hill, and shares how he was asked to begin directing the medical drama Dr. Kildare. Senensky then comments on several series he directed for, including Mission: Impossible, The Fugitive, The Partridge Family, and The Wild, Wild West. He details directing memorable episodes of Star Trek, including "Metamorphosis" and "Obsession"; discusses directing episodes of The F.B.I., and speaks at length about directing The Waltons. He also talks about his contributions to Dallas. Stephen J. Abramson conducted the interview on August 23, 2011 in Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA.

"[Earl Hamner] and I were raised in very like periods and 'The Waltons' was just like putting on an old pair of shoes."

Chapter 1

On his childhood and early influences; on playing piano and being the director's assistant in a high school play in Iowa and falling in love with directing; on serving in World War II; on his favorite movies; on directing community theater in Iowa; on his first professional directing job in Chicago and moving to Los Angeles

16:51

On television shows he watched when he was young; on working at the Pasadena Playhouse; on working for CBS radio and transitioning to television; on CBS' Television City; on his first job at Playhouse 90; on the Playhouse 90 production of "The Death of Manolette"; on his on-the-job training at Playhouse 90 and the production process

16:25

On difficulties of live production at Playhouse 90; on Playhouse 90 producers Martin Manulis, John Houseman, Herbert Brodkin, and Fred Coe; on learning from directors Franklin J. Schaffner, John Frankenheimer, and George Roy Hill; on the legacy of Playhouse 90

14:28

On becoming production supervisor on soap opera Full Circle; on working for game shows; on on meeting Norman Felton and how he got his first directing assignment - for Dr. Kildare

11:22

Chapter 2

On directing Dr. Kildare; on working with Richard Chamberlain; on being an "actor's director"; on what he learned from the crew of Dr. Kildare; on directing an hour-long episode of The Twilight Zone; on working with Norman Felton; on the editing room of Dr. Kildare

10:46

On directing Burgess Meredith in "The Printer's Devil" episode of The Twilight Zone; on different lighting setups for the episode; on Rod Serling; on producer Herbert Hirschman getting him the job on The Twilight Zone; on directing Route 66 and Naked City; on directing Breaking Point and "The Bull Roarer" episode in which a young man thinks he might be gay

25:51

On directing Arrest and Trial starring Ben Gazarra and Chuck Connors; on directing Barbara Stanwyck in The Big Valley; on Stanwyck being a class act; on directing Westerns; on directing four episodes of The Fugitive starring David Janssen; on the success of The Fugitive; on directing sixteen episodes of The F.B.I. starring Efrem Zimbalist, Jr.

21:52

Chapter 3

On actual F.B.I. input on The F.B.I.; on Bette Davis not getting approved by the F.B.I. to appear on The F.B.I.; on sponsor Ford Motor Cars; on specific episodes of the show: "The Death Wind" and "The Assassin"

17:26

On his experiences with McCarthyism and the Blacklist; on directing The Wild, Wild West starring Robert Conrad; on shooting in color on The Wild, Wild West; on directing Raymond Burr in Ironside; on Universal wanting people to be loyal to the studio

12:30

On the difficulty of directing Mission: Impossible; on directing Star Trek episodes "This Side of Paradise", "Metamorphosis", "Obsession", "Return to Tomorrow", "Bread and Circuses", "Is There No Truth in Beauty? and "The Tholian Web"; on getting fired from Star Trek

21:53

On directing the cast of Star Trek; on the legacy of the show

05:38

Chapter 4

On directing The Courtship of Eddie's Father; on directing several episodes of The Bill Cosby Show and The Partridge Family on Playhouse 90 and how to direct comedies and dramas; on directing The Waltons; on Ron Howard guest-starring on the episode "The Gift" on The Waltons; on "The Conflict," "The Marathon," "The Pony Cart," and "Grandma Comes Home" episodes of The Waltons

24:03

On changing the "Goodnight, John Boy" ending in the "Grandma Comes Home" episode of The Waltons; on directing Buddy Ebsen in Barnaby Jones; on the death of Eight Is Enough's Diana Hyland; on directing Ed Asner in Lou Grant; on directing several episodes of Insight, shot on tape; on the chemistry between leads Robert Wagner and Stefanie Powers on Hart to Hart

06:20

On his role in the creation of Dynasty; on George Peppard being the original "Blake Carrington" on Dynasty; on his short tenure with the show

14:56

On directing The Paper Chase on Showtime; on how technology has influenced his directing; on his proudest achievement; on advice to aspiring directors; on how he'd like to be remembered